BAY CITY — In a year’s time, nearly all crime in Bay City has experienced a decline.

Statistics provided by the Bay City Police Department indicate a decrease in reported crime in 2011 when compared to the previous year. What the department classifies as Part 1 crimes — meaning the most serious offenses — dropped by 24 percent, while Part 2 crimes dipped 18 percent.

Part 1 crimes include homicide, forcible rape, aggravated assault, robbery, burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft and arson. Arson in Bay City was the sole category to increase year over year, with 13 in 2011 compared to nine in 2010, a 44 percent jump, while the other seven crimes individually decreased by 8 percent to 100 percent.

Police Chief Michael J. Cecchini said he could only speculate on what accounts for the decrease — the greatest since he became chief in 2006 — but he theorizes efforts by his officers and the public are collectively reducing crime.

“We have a repeat offender program, where we focus our efforts on those individuals who are recidivists,” Cecchini said. “They don’t make up most of the people we’re dealing with, but they’re the ones committing most of the crimes. We’re focusing on the 20 percent committing 80 percent of crimes. I think that has an impact.”

The department works with the Bay County Prosecutor’s Office, probation and parole officers and agencies to target “chronic lawbreakers,” the chief said.

“If we arrest one of those persons, we try to get their sentence enhanced to keep them off the streets,” he said.

Bay City Mayor Christopher Shannon said he is pleased with the apparent reduction in crime, giving credit both to the police and the community as a whole.

“It’s really good news,” Shannon said. “Of course, it’s what you want to see, and Chief Cecchini is doing an incredible job.”

The chief added that the efforts of groups and citizens to revitalize and invest money in Bay City neighborhoods likewise are beneficial.

“Any time you have people investing in Bay City, it has a positive effect in reducing blight and overall crime,” he said. “We do a lot in working with the community to prevent crimes. We have our community policing officers, we’re doing certain educational programs in schools, and a safe community really is a result of the citizens too. Keeping an eye on your neighbor, keeping an eye on your neighborhood, even keeping your property up and making sure neighborhoods are nice and clean helps in the overall reduction of crime in a community.”

2010

2011

Change

Homicide

1

0

-100%

Forcible rape

61

36

-41%

Aggravated assault

123

93

-24%

Robbery

45

38

-16%

Burglary

356

253

-29%

Larceny

726

558

-23%

Auto theft

39

36

-8%

Arson

9

13

44%

Sexual assault

37

54

46%

Fraud

119

114

-4%

Simple assault

459

370

-19%

Vandalism

595

415

-30%

Drugs

295

282

-4%

Weapons offenses

42

29

-31%

SOURCE: Bay City Police Department

The city’s last homicide was that of Lynn M. Spicer, 33, killed the early morning of Nov. 12, 2010. Spicer’s live-in boyfriend Jeffrey A. Julian II has testified in court about how he strangled Spicer, though he has pleaded insanity and awaits trial. Jeff Julian’s younger brother, Craig A. Julian, was convicted of first-degree premeditated murder and removal of a body and is serving life in prison without the possibility of parole.

While the frequency of first- and third-degree criminal sexual conduct, which involves penetration, jumped from 38 in 2009 to 61 in 2010, the number fell back to 36 in 2011, a decrease of 41 percent from the previous year. Cecchini said he can’t explain the fluctuating numbers of crimes of this sort.

Second- and fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, which does not involve penetration, increased 46 percent from 37 instances in 2010 to 54 in 2011.

Crimes of profit have decreased for the second straight year, with robbery, burglary and larceny declining by 16, 29 and 23 percent, respectively, from 2010 to 2011.

“It is surprising,” Cecchini said. “We’re still in a recession, and in very tough economic times, typically you see the crime rate goes up, but we’re not seeing that.”

Shannon said volunteer groups like the Mayor’s Community Revitalization Committee and the Citizens District Councils, which work to address blight and similar concerns, likely have deterred crime.

“That has a direct impact on these crime statistics,” the mayor said. “It’s amazing what I see happen when one neighbor cleans up his property and the effect that has on the whole block. It’s kind of a snowball effect.”

In the fall and spring, the Mayor’s Community Revitalization Committee has a clean-up day. The next one is slated for April 21.

“It’s not always just the men in blue out there making a difference,” Shannon said. “It’s a real community effort. There is a long tradition in Bay City of volunteers, and I’m just honored to be part of it.”

The Bay City Police Department is composed of 52 sworn officers and four civilian staff members.